REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
What began in 1975 as a picnic among Clan Murray members has grown into the annual New Hampshire Highland Games & Festival. Cue the bagpipes.
THE CLAN-DO SPIRIT: Scottish clans line up for the opening parade and roll call at the New Hampshire Highland Games & Festival in Lincoln, New Hampshire, Sept. 20. Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff
You never truly finish a family tree.
That’s how genealogist Leslie Greene Kittenbrink describes her calling to trace ancestry – a pursuit that branches and blossoms with every discovery. And to Ms. Kittenbrink and the tens of thousands who gather each September for the New Hampshire Highland Games & Festival, this event is more than a party. It’s a way of reconnecting with their Scottish heritage.
On a sunny afternoon, the sounds of bagpipes float across Loon Mountain. What began in 1975 as a picnic among Clan Murray members has grown into an annual weekend festival. It still highlights traditional feats of strength – the caber toss, stone put, and hammer throw – but now also includes Highland dancing, sheepdog trials, and parades of tartans.
Clan tents line the grounds, offering history and hospitality. For Stephen Boutwell of Clan Rose, each year feels like a reunion. Visitors often ask him for help tracing their clan connections.
“It gives me a sense of belonging and pride,” he says. He recalls how his grandmother created a nearly 200-foot family tree on paper, a legacy that continues to inspire him and his father, Bruce.
Ms. Kittenbrink has traced her family into the 1700s. When the clan lacked a tartan, she designed one, drawing on her father’s work as a textile engineer in Lowell, Massachusetts. Today, three generations wear the tartan proudly – the past and present stitched together.
Melanie Stetson Freeman/StaffPLAID PAD: Bruce Boutwell greets visitors inside Clan Rose’s booth.
Melanie Stetson Freeman/StaffCATTLE ROYALE: Jeffrey Patterson (right), of Bristol, Maine, walks his Highland bull Winston through the crowd. Winston will gain 1,000 pounds by the time he’s full-grown.
Melanie Stetson Freeman/StaffMERRY QUEENS OF SCOTS: Young women compete in the dance contest.
Melanie Stetson Freeman/StaffON THE HUNT FOR HERITAGE: Scottish deerhounds, known as the royal dog of Scotland, were originally bred for hunting and coursing deer.
Melanie Stetson Freeman/StaffJOY STICK: A competitor participates in the caber toss with a 19-foot pole.
Melanie Stetson Freeman/StaffKILTY PLEASURE: A man wears his clan’s tartan plaid and sporran. Each clan has its own distinct patterns, with several variations worn on different occasions.
Melanie Stetson Freeman/StaffSCOT TROT: A pipe band marches onto the field at the festival.
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Last edited 11/4/2025 6:36:04 PM
